Singin' in the Rain, Chichester Festival - review

Leading man: Adam Cooper displays all the easy charm and effortless finesse of Gene Kelly

Do-de-do-doo: it's hard, sometimes, to remember this musical as anything more than an ace title song with a half-decent 1952 film attached.

Such is the enduring appeal of Gene Kelly, lamp posts and downpours that's it's easy to forget the show is about the transition from silent movies to the "talkies" and has a lot to say, often in agreeably barbed fashion, about the transient nature of showbiz success. Jonathan Church's elegant and witty production reminds us of all this and adds sizzling choreography for the generous helping of big production numbers.

First things first: there is a lamp post, there is a downpour and Adam Cooper displays all the easy charm and effortless finesse of Kelly as he taps and twinkles and drenches a squealing, beaming front row. With a few more singing lessons to bolster vocal strength, this former Royal Ballet principal has the makings of an era-defining leading man. He certainly conveys a golden-age-of-movies aura as Don Lockwood, one half of legendary silent-screen love pairing Lockwood and Lamont.

Don will be all right after The Jazz Singer (1927) has changed the art form for ever, but unfortunately Lina Lamont (Katherine Kingsley) talks like a duck on Red Bull and sings slightly worse. Step forward young hopeful Kathy Selden (Scarlett Strallen) to dub some joyously recreated (top marks to video director Ian William Galloway) spoof film footage.

Beautiful Girls, Good Morning, Would You: there are several other stand-out songs here too, all conveyed with relish by a high-class ensemble clearly revelling in Andrew Wright's choreography.

Crucially there's real chemistry between Cooper and Strallen, and gifted support from Daniel Crossley in the Donald O'Connor role. Delightful.